Best MLB Bets Today: Can the Rays Cool Off the Astros

We have a fantastic couple of bets for you today. The first comes from a game between the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays. The other comes from a matchup between bad teams as the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels face off. 

Below, we will share our favorite bet for each game. The odds we use are taken from FanDuel Sportsbook, which offers new players a welcome bonus of $150 in Bonus Bets when they sign up and make an initial winning wager of $5+.

Best MLB Bets Today: Astros vs. Rays (6:50 PM EST)

Astros -1.5 (+126) at FanDuel Sportsbook

The Astros have been red hot over the last week and now lead the AL West. The lineup continues to be one of the most dangerous in baseball, and now their rotation is figuring things out.
The same cannot be said for the Rays, who have been spiraling since trading away several key players at the end of July. While they opened August with a feisty series win against the Astros, they would go on to lose five of their next seven games. With a depleted lineup and a rotation short on talent, they seem destined to add another loss tonight.

The Astros will have Ronel Blanco (9-6, 3.02 ERA, 1.05 WHIP) making the start tonight. The 30-year-old has cooled off since July 1 but remains a reliable piece of this rotation. He faced Tampa back on August 3 and allowed two runs over five innings but struggled to keep runners off the basepaths. 

As impressive as their series win against the Astros was, it came during a different time for the Rays. They were sparked by the new and hungry faces in their lineup, but that initial momentum has come to a crashing halt over the last week. Tampa is struggling to find any offense, which will lead to a long and impressive start for Blanco.

The Rays will have Zack Littell (5-8, 4.11 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) on the mound tonight. The 28-year-old has talent but continues to struggle to find consistency. While he has a workable 4.02 ERA since July 1, the Rays have lost by multiple runs in four of his last six starts.

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Best MLB Bets Today: Blue Jays vs. Angels (9:38 PM EST)

Angels ML (-108) at FanDuel Sportsbook

This matchup features two teams who rank in the bottom ten of the league in runs scored and bullpen ERA. That means tonight’s game will come down to starting pitching, where the Angels will have a significant advantage. 

The Angels will have Tyler Anderson (9-10, 2.99 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) starting tonight. The veteran was a massive disappointment for LA last season, but he has been one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2024. He is also coming off one of his most impressive starts of the season, where he held a great Yankees lineup to one run on three hits and one walk over six innings. 

The Jays will have a veteran of their own on the mound tonight in Jose Berrios (10-9, 3.97 ERA, 1.21 WHIP). He has not been himself in 2024 and has been getting especially hard lately, with an ERA of 5.65. While he was strong in his last start, that came against an A’s team that ranks twenty-sixth in batting average and runs scored.

While the Angels lineup is bad, they have some very dangerous young hitters. That group is led by 23-year-old shortstop Zach Neto (.261 BA, 17 HR, 61 RBI, 21 SB). The top prospect is having a fantastic August, with a .310 batting average, four home runs, and 14 RBIs. With Berrios struggling, expect Neto and the young core to do some damage tonight.

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